Laws are changing across the country – and even throughout the world. I see the definitions of domestic violence changing, broadening, almost by the day. But, in Virginia at least, as of the date of this writing, our statute(s) do not officially define or recognize coercive control as domestic violence. That matters if you’re seeking...
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I talked about relocation the other day, but I focused on relocation from mom’s perspective – as in, she is the one who wants to move. But what happens when it’s dad who wants to relocate, and it’s mom who is opposing it? It’s a good question; let’s talk about it. He wants to move...
Relocation is a really tough nut to crack – at least, when mom and dad don’t agree about the relocation at the outset. I would say, personally, that I find relocation cases to be among the most difficult of any type of case because of the fact that it’s a winning or losing proposition. So...
By most accounts, by this point in 2026, men and women are (mostly) treated equally under the law – at least, as it relates to spousal support. (If nothing else, but that’s a story for another day.) We don’t call it alimony anymore, at least not in Virginia. In most states, terms like spousal support...
In Virginia, joint legal custody means that coparents have to work together to reach decisions on three main issues: non emergency medical care, education, and religious upbringing. In many cases, we don’t have any issues in any of these three areas though there are some notable exceptions. Sometimes, the issue of vaccinations comes up; in...
The worst days are the days when we lose. And, look, the truth is that, sometimes, we all lose. In fact, I’d say that, in most cases, we feel like we almost always lose at least a little bit; that’s just the nature of divorce and custody. Few cases are ones where the outcome is...
For many people who are in the beginning stages of contemplating a divorce, one of the first steps is a so-called trial separation. During this time, many things can happen but some of the most common are attending marriage counseling, meeting with pastors and other counselors belonging to the couples’ religious faith, meeting with attorneys,...
Everyone is using AI. Heck, I’m using AI. I don’t always use AI, and I don’t use AI instead of writing things myself, like this article. But I do use it sometimes for inspiration, to proof and polish, or even to help fill in gaps. Sometimes, when I can’t find the words (which, I admit,...